The typical adjustable dockboard, which is adapted to span the gap between a loading dock and the bed of a carrier, includes a frame or supporting structure that is mounted in a pit in the dock. A ramp is hinged to the rear end of the frame and is movable from a horizontal cross traffic position to an upwardly inclined position, as well as to a downwardly inclined, below dock position.
The frame of the conventional dockboard is composed of a channel mounted along the front edge of the bottom of the pit, and a rear frame member is disposed along the rear edge of the pit bottom. In addition, a series of fore-to-aft structural members connect the front channel and the rear frame member.
In a hydraulically operated dockboard, a hydraulic cylinder unit is connected between the frame and the ramp, and the motor-pump unit, as well as the hydraulic reservoir, are located directly behind the front channel on the bottom of the pit. During use, dirt, debris, and other foreign material tends to collect on the bottom of the pit providing an unsightly appearance. It is difficult to clean the debris from the pit bottom, due to the front channel which extends across the front edge of the pit.
Some dockboard utilize a maintenance strut to hold the ramp in an upwardly inclined, elevated position while maintenance is being performed on the operating components of the dockboard which are located in the pit. It is desired to have a maintenance strut that is permanently attached to the dockboard so that it cannot be displaced, and the maintenance strut should be readily installed and removed from its operative position.